Half of the new HS2 railway tunnels are now complete, marking a significant milestone for the project.

Excavation of the tunnels, that cover 29 miles between London and Birmingham, is now more than 50 per cent finished.

There are five twin-bore tunnels between the two cities with work on two completed and two others well underway.

The high-speed trains will run through 27.4 miles of twin-bore tunnels, equating to almost a fifth of the 140-mile route.

Rail Minister Huw Merriman said: “Reaching this impressive milestone on a project of HS2’s scale shows just how much momentum is behind construction of the line, which, once complete, will have a transformative impact on rail travel for generations to come.

“It’s a significant achievement for the team helping deliver this railway and I’m delighted the project has now supported record numbers of new jobs, demonstrating the vital role it is playing in creating opportunities up and down the country.”

HS2’s fleet of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are excavating and building a total of 54.8 miles of tunnel.

Each TBM operates like an underground factory, excavating the tunnels, lining them with pre-cast concrete tunnel segments, grouting them into place and moving forward at an average speed of between 12 and 16 metres per day.

The new railway has led to 31,000 workers being employed, an increase of nearly 2,700 roles from the previous quarter.

Jackie Roe, HS2’s Civils Delivery Director said: "The halfway point for our tunnelling programme is a fantastic milestone, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do on the tunnels, including all cross passages, vent shafts and then fitting them out with the critical rail and power systems that will eventually allow trains to safely operate."

It is hoped the new HS2 railway will improve the connections between London and the West Midlands.

HS2 believe this will create quicker and more reliable journeys, driving economic growth while crucially freeing up space for more local trains on the most congested part of the existing West Coast Main Line.

In March 2023, TBM ‘Dorothy’ completed its second drive of the one-mile Long Itchington Wood Tunnel in Warwickshire – the first tunnel to be completed on the project.

Earlier this year, ‘Florence’ and ‘Cecilia’ completed both drives of the 10-mile Chiltern Tunnel – the longest tunnel on the route – with the second breakthrough witnessed in March.

The machines are operated by crews of around 17, working in shifts to keep the 24/7 operation running.